Bellevue IHOP tied to salmonella outbreak closes

BELLEVUE, Wash. - An IHOP location in Bellevue is now closed after multiple people contracted salmonella from eating at the restaurant.

The IHOP being investigated is located at 14747 NE 20th St. in the Bellevue Marketplace, across from Fred Meyer. The establishment actually closed several times earlier this year due to a reoccurring salmonella outbreak.

According to King County Public Health, the first instance of someone becoming sick after eating at the IHOP was on February 26, 2024. Laboratory testing confirmed that the person had the same strain of salmonella as other people who became sick in an outbreak.

On April 2, Public Health visited the IHOP and took samples from various surfaces in the restaurant. One of the samples came back positive for salmonella, matching the outbreak strain.

The IHOP was then closed to conduct a thorough cleaning and disinfection. Public Health officials confirmed the deep cleaning was done appropriately on April 12, and the restaurant opened the same day.

However, on May 7, another person became sick after eating at the same IHOP. They had the same strain of salmonella as the other people who became sick in the outbreak, according to Public Health.

The restaurant remained closed from May 24 until June 7, when Public Health verified the facility had conducted extensive cleaning.

But less than a month later, on June 27, the IHOP was closed once again after another person became sick after eating at the IHOP. They apparently got sick after dining at the establishment on June 8, a day after officials confirmed it was fully cleaned.

Five people have reported becoming sick with salmonella and two people were hospitalized after eating at the IHOP in Bellevue. They ranged in age from 16 to 70 years old. No IHOP employees contracted the infection.

Public Health will continue testing environmental samples from the restaurant and make sure there is no presence of salmonella before it reopens.

Salmonella, or Salmonellosis, is a bacterial infection spread through contaminated food and water. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, fever, chills, and abdominal cramping. Illness typically lasts several days, and people can spread infection to others even after symptoms resolve.